Introduction

Real estate and land-backed transactions — acquisitions, factory construction, project siting, mortgage lending — are among the most common points of legal failure for investors in Cameroon. The cause is rarely the transaction itself; it is the condition of title. Understanding Cameroon’s land tenure system before committing funds is essential.

The 1974 land tenure framework

Land in Cameroon is governed principally by the ordinances of 6 July 1974 (notably Ordinance No. 74/1 establishing the land tenure regime), which divide land into private and national land. Registration under the 1974 framework — culminating in the land certificate (certificat foncier) — is what converts occupation or use into secure, transferable private property. Customary and unregistered interests, however long established, sit lower on the security ladder and are a frequent source of dispute.

The safe acquisition sequence

For a registered parcel, acquisition should proceed in order: verify the seller’s land certificate at the land registry (cadastre); confirm the parcel’s identity against official plans; check for mortgages, liens and litigation; execute a notarised deed of sale; and — decisively — complete the transfer of registration so the buyer’s name appears on the certificate. A purchase where registration is left “later” is an incomplete purchase.

Implications for lenders

Mortgage security under the OHADA Uniform Act on Security Interests is only as strong as the mortgagor’s registered title. Lenders should treat clean land certificates, cadastral verification and registered priority as conditions precedent, and should price transactions involving unregistered land accordingly — or decline them.

Conclusion

Cameroonian land law rewards discipline: verify, register, and then transact. ALPs conducts land due diligence, manages acquisitions and perfects mortgage security for buyers, developers and lenders across Cameroon.